There are endless obstacles accompanying midterms season: finding a seat on the fourth floor of the library, brainstorming essay plans without doing the reading beforehand, rushing to get everything done before ‘Halloweek’ rolls around. With so much to do in so little time, of course we cling to the comfort of our pomodoro timer and blurting paper. These classic study methods are reliable, right? So why is it that the general atmosphere on campus is one of despair? Old study habits die hard, but if all they’re doing is making us miserable, perhaps we should look to less conventional alternatives. These unhinged study methods might be exactly what you need to spice up your reading week and get you over the finish line.
Let’s start with some brutal self-reporting. No, I’m not talking about propping up a picture of Malala Yousafzai on your desk and apologising to it when you lose focus; despite what TikTok might tell you, this is a waste of time and EdPrint credit. Instead, give one of your more merciless friends your goal for hours spent studying per day and let them decide the punishment for missing it. So far, my flatmate has stolen my sweet treats and hidden my Young Scot Card. The horror of paying for the bus this morning knowing it could’ve been free was motivation enough to start hitting my target.
Despite this, there’s no use sitting down to write an essay if you can’t think of where to start. Where the sensible option would be consulting a course mate or your tutor, the unhinged alternative is drinking a glass of wine. Many would dismiss the idea of alcohol helping you study as urban myth, but I know what works for me. A 2012 University of Illinois study found that participants with a blood alcohol content of around 0.75 — that’s about tipsy —performed better at creative problem-solving tasks than sober ones did. Obviously, alcohol won’t help you memorise a deck of flashcards any faster, but if you need to come up with lots of inventive essay plans, a drink is something to consider.
Being unhinged doesn’t have to mean sprinting into uncharted territory though. If your degree means more to you than experimenting with questionable study methods during a pivotal week in the academic calendar, you can make unhinged changes to habits you have already. If you usually listen to music while you study, swap out your playlist for something more epic — that’s epic in a heroic, grandiose way, not a 2017 YouTube video title way. I’m talking about Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No. 5’ or Wagner’s ‘Ride of The Valkyries’ at full volume. Alternatively, if you usually shower before you study, try doing so cold. Not only will this reduce your heating bill, but the sheer temperature of the water is guaranteed to shock you into academic submission — a win-win in my eyes.
None of these study methods are foolproof, but they’re certainly all exciting. Try at your own risk.
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash.